Originally written for piano as one of the pieces of the "Miroirs" Suite, Maurice Ravel transcribed this brilliant piece of music himself for big symphonic orchestra. Gudrun Hinze has taken this one step further and arranged it for her flute quintet, Quintessenz, with the optional accompaniment of castanets. The "Alborada" reflects caustic humor and Andalusian passion by creating the sounds of rhythmic Spanish guitar playing with precise, rhythmic articulations and some "slap tonguing" effects. This is a brilliant arrangement that would be a wonderful addition to any program. 

Instrumentation:

• 3 C Flutes (2nd Flute doubles on Piccolo)
• Alto Flute
• Bass Flute